How to Interpret the Bible
The Rev. Lou Tiscione, Pastor, Weatherford Presbyterian Church (PCA)
The Bible is what God has said. It describes itself as the breathed-out word of God. God has revealed what He wants us to know about Him and His plan of redemption. God has told us that all men are creatures. He is the Creator. The Bible reveals His only Son, Jesus, through whom we know God fully and intimately. This unique and precious book is a collection of 66 books. Men whom the Spirit of God carried along wrote it. It is sufficient for everything necessary for life and salvation. God has preserved what we have today.
God gave us the Bible because He is a God of revelation. He desires that we understand what He has said. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the Bible is understandable. Yet, it seems that many are lost when it comes to interpreting the Bible. One would think that God’s book would have specific interpretations. But Christians are faced with a myriad of interpretations. We are faced with choices. Who has the right interpretation? Whom should we follow? What is right doctrine? If we look at this issue of biblical interpretation logically, we must conclude that all interpretations cannot be right. When there are two contradicting views of the Bible, one or both might be wrong. One thing for certain, both views can’t be right. There is only one right interpretation of a passage of Scripture. For difficult passages, we may never arrive at the right interpretation this side of heaven.
But don’t lose heart. The entire Bible does not fall into the category of “difficult”. The vast majority of biblical doctrine is clear. For example, the doctrine of salvation is clear; God has revealed that men are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
As a general rule, how can we determine what God has said?
The answer is hermeneutics, interpretation. There are two principles by which we are able to interpret Scripture. The first is called the biblical principle. The second is called the literal principle. The biblical principle is also called the analogy of faith. The Protestant Reformers recovered this principle of interpretation. They understood that the Bible interprets itself. This means the clear passages of Scripture shed light upon the more difficult ones. It is also understood that one place of Scripture must not be placed against another. In other words, there are no contradictions in the Bible. There may be apparent contradictions, but once the issues are studied, we find that the Bible is consistent with itself because God does not speak with a “forked” tongue.
The second principle, the literal one, is also called the historical/grammatical principle of interpretation. You may have heard the saying that “text without context is pretext.” The words of Scripture find their meaning within the broader context of the passage. For example, because of the difficulty in understanding Hebrews 6:4-6, which states,
For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”,
it would not be accurate to base a theology on the possibility of losing one’s salvation! Keeping that passage within its context makes it clear that the writer is speaking of one who may profess faith but does not possess genuine saving faith. In other words, the writer was speaking of those who are called apostates.
Further, to interpret literally means to understand that which is plainly meant. It is how we read and understand any piece of literature. Therefore, when interpreting the Bible, consideration of grammar, genre, meaning of words, context, time in which it was written, etc. are involved It is important to point out that the literal interpretation of the Bible is not the same as a literalisticinterpretation. For example, we know that when the prophet Isaiah wrote that the “trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12), he didn’t mean that trees have hands. God was describing the joy of all creation when His plan of redemption is finally consummated. Or, when Jesus said that He was the “door of the sheep” (John 10:7, 9), He did not mean that He looked like a door. Jesus was declaring that He is the only way for His people to have safety and security.
Finally, the Bible is the only rule of faith and practice that God has given to His people. He means for us to understand it (Deuteronomy 29:29). I encourage you to apply these principles of interpretation so that your life will be lived for His glory and your blessing.
